JP2017518583A - System for installing software on a small memory device - Google Patents

Abstract

The system (100) enables the installation of a computer program on the (small memory) device (110). The system includes the above device and a host device (180). The host device is arranged to transmit data packets. At least some of the data packets include respective portions of the computer program. The apparatus includes a program memory (130) for containing a computer program, a boot memory (120) having a boot loader, and a processor (150). The boot loader is further arranged to install a computer program. The boot loader detects a data packet, extracts (a) a portion of the computer program and partial metadata, and / or (b) program metadata, and in the program memory based on the partial metadata. Determining the memory location, maintaining the progress information representing the extracted part stored in the program memory, and determining the completion of the storage of the set of parts based on the progress information and the program metadata And including.

Description

  The present invention relates to wirelessly downloading and installing a computer program into a small memory device. For example, the small memory device may be an electronic device that typically has a small memory, such as a remote control device, as compared to other more complex electronic devices such as a smartphone.

  Remote control devices can interact with consumer devices using various technologies. Well-known legacy infrared technology allows remote control devices to control consumer devices. The remote control device has an infrared transmitter to transmit an infrared signal including a command code, and the consumer device has an infrared receiver to receive the infrared signal and extract the command code. In response to the command code, the consumer device can perform an action. For example, the consumer device may be a TV and the remote controller is used by the user to send a command code, causing the TV to switch to the next channel or increase the volume.

  Modern remote control devices have (further) wireless-based capabilities to interact with other devices in the home and can wirelessly download remote control device software updates from the host device. For example, radio-based capabilities may be based on ZigBee® RF4CE technology (and the ZigBee Alliance website, accessed on May 22, 2014: http://www.zigbee.org/Specifications/ZigBeeRF4CE See /Overview.aspx). Software updates typically include remote control device firmware, including an up-to-date database of command codes for interacting with various devices. Downloading and installing new software wirelessly is commonly referred to as Over-the-Air Download (OAD). The OAD can be used to receive and install software on the remote controller during the remote controller production process. The host device may establish a wireless connection with the remote control device and then send the software wirelessly to the remote control device.

  However, installing new software on a remote control within a mass production process is still a relatively inefficient process within the production process. This is particularly true in mass production processes where low cost and high speed of production are important, such as remote controller production processes. During the installation of new software using OAD, the host device and the remote control device need to be shielded from other nearby (remote control) devices, for example using a shielding box, to prevent interference. Each of the other remote control devices may perform its own installation within its own shielding box, paired with its own host device inside the shielding box. The use of a shielding box for each device to perform its own software installation is cumbersome and limits the speed of the production process. The inefficiency of the production process is further exacerbated by the fact that downloading to the device itself can be a relatively slow process.

  Furthermore, the installation process is inefficient in terms of memory (and hence cost) because it requires additional memory during the installation process. Installation of new software means that the remote controller first downloads and stores the new software in additional memory, then verifies the downloaded software, and finally overwrites the existing software in the remote controller memory Need. Thus, the additional memory is mainly used for downloading new software and not much used at other times, which makes the memory usage inefficient. Efficient use of memory is particularly important in the mass production process of small memory devices, such as remote control devices, where the memory size is kept to a minimum, reducing cost and material costs.

  The objective technical problem is to provide a system, method and apparatus for installing software in a small memory device which has an improved efficiency compared to the prior art.

  One aspect of the present invention is an apparatus, a program memory that is a memory for containing a computer program, a boot memory that includes an arranged boot loader that is arranged to boot the apparatus, and A computer program and a processor for executing the boot loader; and a receiving unit for wirelessly receiving data packets, wherein a receiving unit includes portions of the computer program by at least some of the data packets. And the boot loader is further arranged to install the computer program, wherein the boot loader detects a data packet of the data packets, the detecting being for receiving the data packet Some And, from the data packet, (a) a portion of the computer program and partial metadata associated with the portion; and (b) program metadata associated with a set of portions collectively forming the computer program. And at least one of them, determining a memory location in the program memory based on the partial metadata, and progress information representing the extracted portion stored in the program memory And determining completion of storage of the set of portions based on the progress information and the program metadata.

  The device can be a small memory device, such as a remote control, an electronic toy, a wearable device, or a music player. The device includes a processor that executes a computer program and a boot loader so that the small computer is itself efficient. The apparatus further includes a program memory that stores the computer program. The device further includes a boot memory that includes a boot loader that boots the device. The apparatus further comprises a receiving unit for receiving data packets.

  Program memory may not have much more available memory than is required to store computer programs. For example, the program memory may be large enough to contain a computer program and at the same time very small (but need not be) to contain further copies of the computer program. In the latter case, therefore, the program memory cannot contain a computer program and a further copy of the computer program, and therefore the boot loader must first overwrite the computer program pre-installed in the program memory before the computer program is overwritten. The program cannot be downloaded. Computer programs that need to be installed may include, for example, new firmware for the device, and may further include an updated database of settings.

  The boot loader is further arranged to install a computer program on the device in addition to its typical task of booting the device. The boot loader may function as follows when executed by the processor. The boot loader uses the receiving unit to sniff the wireless signal including the data packet. When a data packet is detected, the boot loader can further receive the data packet via the receiving unit. The boot loader can then extract a portion of the computer program and partial metadata associated with the portion from the data packet. The boot loader can then determine a memory location in the program memory for storing the portion based on the portion metadata. For example, the data packet may have a header that includes a relative memory location associated with the portion. The boot loader can therefore determine the (absolute) memory location in the program memory by adding the relative memory location to the predetermined starting memory location in the program memory. The part can then be stored in the determined memory location.

  The boot loader can proceed with other data packets in a similar manner until the boot loader determines that the installation of the computer program is complete. The installation of the computer program is completed when a set of parts that collectively form the computer program is stored on the program memory. In other words, the installation is completed when all parts that collectively form the computer program are stored in the program memory. When the boot loader completes the installation of the computer program, it can then boot the device further by executing the newly installed computer program.

  The boot loader can extract program metadata associated with the set of portions that collectively form the computer program from the data packet. For example, the program metadata may include a number that represents the total amount of portions that collectively form the computer program. Further, the boot loader can maintain progress information representing the extracted portion stored in the program memory. For example, the boot loader may maintain a total number of parts that the program loader has installed in the program memory, so the progress information may be the total number. The boot loader can determine the completion of the storage of the set of parts based on the progress information and the program information. For example, when the total number of stored parts matches the total amount of parts, the boot loader determines that all parts that collectively form the computer program have been stored in program memory.

  The data packet may include a portion, partial metadata associated with the portion, and program metadata. Alternatively, the data packet may include either (a) part and partial metadata, or (b) program metadata. In the latter case, every data packet does not contain a part of the computer program.

  An advantage of the present invention is that the installation of a computer program into a small memory device by a boot loader has improved efficiency from a memory perspective. The program memory is only required to be large enough to store the computer program. For computer program installation, no additional space in the program memory is required to further store additional copies of the computer program. Thus, the installation has improved efficiency from a memory perspective.

  In some cases, the bootloader is arranged to receive a set of data packets in a round-robin fashion, the set of data packets collectively including a set of portions, and the set of data packets is within a single round-robin period. Sent to. All parts that collectively form a computer program can be received within a single round robin period; however, if reception of some parts fails for any reason, these parts can be Can be received during the round robin period. As a result, the reception of the part is robust with respect to the failed received part, preventing the device from becoming “bricked” due to failure during installation. In addition, this allows the device to be restarted in the event of an installation failure, so the boot loader can resume the installation of the computer program.

  In some cases, the set of parts is a continuous part that continuously forms a computer program, and the part metadata includes information related to the rank of the parts within the continuous part. For example, the set includes 100 consecutive parts up to part # 1, part # 2,..., Part # 100. Then, for example, the partial metadata of the part # 60 may be the number 60, and this number 60 represents the rank of the part # 60 in the continuous part. Thus, parts can be received continuously according to their rank.

  Another aspect of the present invention is a system for installing a computer program in an apparatus, comprising a host device arranged to transmit data packets, at least some of the data packets being of the computer program The host device includes a transmission unit that wirelessly transmits the data packet, and the device boots the device and a program memory that is a memory for storing a computer program. A boot memory including a boot loader disposed; a processor that executes the computer program and the boot loader; and a receiving unit that wirelessly receives the data packet. The boot loader installs the computer program. And detecting a data packet of the data packets, wherein the detecting is part of receiving the data packet, and from the data packet, (a Extracting at least one of: a portion of the computer program, and partial metadata associated with the portion; and (b) program metadata associated with a set of portions collectively forming the computer program. Determining a memory location in the program memory based on the partial metadata; maintaining progress information representing the extracted portion stored in the program memory; and the progress information and the Determining completion of storage of the set of parts based on program metadata.

  Thus, the system includes a device that includes a boot loader (consistent with the device described above that is an aspect of the present invention) and a host device. The host device can send a data packet, which can be received by the device. For example, the system may be part of a production line for remote devices, and the host device may send a packet containing each part of the new firmware to the device that is the remote control device.

  Optionally, the system includes a plurality of devices according to the device, each of the plurality of devices triggering the detection at a different time point corresponding to a different initial part of the set of parts. One advantage is that when a computer program is installed on multiple small memory devices, the installation has improved efficiency from a speed perspective. One of the devices can perform the installation simultaneously with the installation of another device of the plurality of nearby devices. Each device does not require a paired connection with its own unique host device. Alternatively, multiple devices can independently sniff and receive the same data packet from the same single host device. As a result, as long as multiple devices are within the scope of a single host device so that they can receive data packets, there is no limit on the amount of multiple devices that can simultaneously install a computer program. Therefore, the speed of installing a computer program on a plurality of devices is greatly increased as compared with the prior art.

Another aspect of the present invention is a host device used in the system,
A processor arranged to transmit a set of data packets in a round-robin manner, wherein each data packet of the data packets includes a computer program portion, and the set of data packets includes the computer program Collectively including a set of parts that form collectively, wherein the set of data packets includes a processor and a transmission unit that transmits the data packets wirelessly, transmitted within a single round-robin period. . This not only allows multiple devices to install the computer program in parallel, but also allows each of the multiple devices to install any round-robin period or any other during the next round-robin period. Allows to start on time. This further increases efficiency in terms of both speed and more practical installation of computer programs on multiple devices.

  Another aspect of the present invention is a computer program product comprising instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by a processor of a host device, the instructions cause the processor to determine a portion from the computer program; Determining a partial metadata associated with the portion and composing a data packet including the portion and the partial metadata.

  Another aspect of the present invention is a method for installing a computer program in an apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a program memory that is a memory for containing a computer program; and a boot loader that is arranged to boot the apparatus. Including a boot memory, a processor for executing the computer program and the boot loader, and a receiving unit for wirelessly receiving data packets, wherein a portion of the computer program is included by at least some of the data packets, The method includes detecting a data packet of the data packets, the detecting step being a part of receiving the data packet; and from the data packet, (a) the above Computer Extracting at least one of a program part and part metadata associated with the part; and (b) program metadata associated with a set of parts that collectively form the computer program; Determining a memory location in the program memory based on partial metadata; maintaining progress information representing an extracted portion stored in the program memory; and the progress information and the program metadata Determining completion of storage of the set of parts based on.

  Another aspect of the present invention is a computer program product including a boot loader that includes instructions, wherein when the boot loader is executed by a processor, the boot loader causes the processor to perform the method of claim 14.

  These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and will be elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

It should be noted that items having the same reference number in different figures have the same structural features and the same function. Where the function and / or structure of such an item has been described, the description of the item need not be repeated in the detailed description.
1 illustrates a system for installing a computer program in a small memory device. 1 illustrates a system including a plurality of small memory devices. 2 illustrates the memory of two small memory devices and the memory of a host device during a round robin installation of a computer program. 6 illustrates the memory of a small memory device upon completion of installation of a computer program. Fig. 6 illustrates the memory of the small memory device and the host device during another round robin installation of the computer program. Fig. 4 illustrates the memory of a small memory device before storing the last part of the computer program and reordering the parts. A method for installing a computer program in a small memory device is illustrated.

  FIG. 1 a illustrates a system 100 that installs a computer program on a small-memory device DEV 110. The system 100 includes a host device HST180 (hereinafter: host HST) and a small memory device DEV (hereinafter: device DEV). The host HST has a transmission unit SND190. The device DEV has a receiving unit RCV170, a boot memory MBOOT120, a program memory MPROG130, an active memory MACT140, and a processor PROC150. The processor PROC can exchange data with the boot memory MBBOOT, the program memory MPROG, the active memory MACT, and the receiving unit RCV through connections 152-153 and 171 respectively.

  The host HST can transmit the computer program in units of parts via the transmission unit SND 190, each part being included by a respective data packet. Therefore, the computer program as a whole is collectively contained by a set of data packets. The host HST transmits a wireless signal 191, which may contain data packets. The host HST may include other elements not shown in FIG. 1a, such as a processor, host memory, and a network communication unit that connects to another network and / or the Internet.

  The host HST can have a computer program stored in its host memory and can determine a data packet from the computer program as follows. The host HST first divides the computer program into successive parts. The portions may be different in size or may be of equal size. The host assembles the data packet by pre-pending the header for the part. The header can include partial metadata associated with the portion. For example, the header may include a packet identifier, a relative memory location that stores the portion, and the size (in bytes) of the portion included by the data packet. The header may alternatively (or additionally) include program metadata associated with a set of parts that collectively form a computer program. For example, the program metadata may include the total number of portions that collectively form the computer program. Alternatively, as another example, the program metadata may include a total size in bytes of the computer program.

  In one embodiment, each data packet has a similar format and content. For example, each data packet may include a portion, associated partial metadata, and further program metadata. In another embodiment, there may be two types of data packets. The first type of data packet may contain a part and associated part metadata, and the second type of data packet may contain program metadata. When the processor PROC does not need to receive the same program metadata in each successive data packet, the host HST may only send a second type of data packet only occasionally.

  Consider the following data packet example: The packet identifier can be a number. The data packet containing the first part of the computer program may have a packet identifier that is number 1. A data packet that includes the second portion may have a packet identifier that is number 2, and so on. For example, a computer program may include 500 kilobytes, and the 500 kilobytes may be divided into 500 parts each of 1024 bytes (1 kb), resulting in a total number of data packets of 500. Then, the set of 500 data packets collectively includes all parts that collectively contain the computer program, and thus each data packet of the set includes a respective part of the computer program. The relative memory location of the part can indicate its location in memory relative to the starting location in program memory MPROG. For example, a data packet that includes a first portion of a computer program may have a relative memory location 0000 (zero), and a data packet that includes a second portion of a computer program may have a relative memory location 1024. , Then the third part is related to memory location 2048, and so on. Furthermore, note that if the data packet header has a fixed size of, for example, 64 bytes, the size of the data packet is 1088.

  The portions may be of the same size but may differ in size. If all parts are the same size, the relative memory location of the parts can be calculated in a straightforward manner based on the size and the respective packet number. That is, the relative memory position is calculated as (packet number-1) × partial size. Then the relative memory location need not be explicitly included in the header. Alternatively, the portions are different sizes. In this case, the calculation of the relative memory location is not very straightforward and therefore it may be beneficial to include the relative memory location in the header.

  Alternatively, the data packet may include absolute memory locations that store portions within the program memory MPROG, rather than relative memory locations. The part is then stored directly in an absolute memory location in the program memory MPROG.

  The device DEV has a boot memory MBBOOT, which can be a non-volatile memory including a boot loader. The boot loader contains software that helps boot the device DEV. The device DEV is booted when the processor PROC loads the boot loader into the active memory MACT and then executes the boot loader. In addition to booting the device DEV, the boot loader in the present invention further includes a software function that performs installation of a computer program. The installation of the computer program includes storing the computer program in a program memory MPROG that is a non-volatile memory.

  When the boot loader is executed by the processor PROC, the device DEV can operate as follows.

  When the processor PROC executes the boot loader, the device DEV starts “sniffing” on the data packet being sent by the host HST. The sniff of the data packet implies that the device DEV receives the wireless signal 191 via the receiving unit RCV and examines the wireless signal for the presence of the data packet. For example, the processor can detect a data packet by detecting a predetermined data sequence that characterizes the beginning of any data packet from the host HST. The device DEV can then receive the entire data packet. For example, each data packet may be limited to a predetermined number of bytes, so the processor DEV needs to receive the predetermined number of bytes from the beginning of the data packet in order to receive the entire data packet It is said.

  Data packets can be written to the active memory MACT. The data packet can have a fixed header size, and the processor PROC can extract the header from the data packet. The header may include the size of the part (eg, the part consists of 1024 bytes), so the processor PROC can determine the memory location in active memory that contains the part. The processor PROC can then read the part from the active memory MACT. The processor PROC then extracts both the header and the part from the data packet.

  The above embodiments include active memory MACT, which is volatile memory, but technically it may further be possible to use non-volatile memory instead. Currently, volatile memory is typically preferred for many applications because it is much faster to read from and write to volatile memory compared to non-volatile memory. However, due to hardware innovation, it is naturally expected that future non-volatile memory will have a greater speed compared to current non-volatile memory. For some embodiments, future non-volatile memory speeds may be acceptable for use in active memory MACT. An example of an embodiment using a future non-volatile memory could possibly be a device DEV, which is a remote control device that controls a consumer device.

  In order to verify the integrity of the data packet, the header may further include a packet checksum. The processor PROC can verify whether the packet checksum and the received data packet are consistent. If this is not the case, the processor PROC can conclude that the received data packet has been corrupted and can stop further processing of the data packet in response. The processor PROC may then continue by sniffing for another data packet. The processor PROC may further extract the relative memory location from the header, as mentioned above. The processor PROC may then determine an absolute memory location in the program memory MPROG for storing the part. The absolute memory location can be determined by adding a relative memory location to a predetermined starting memory location in program memory. The processor PROC can then store (write) the extracted part in the absolute memory location in the program memory MPROG.

  In the following, it should be noted that “storing a part in the program memory MPROG” is also referred to as “installing a part”. Similarly, a computer program is “installed” when all the parts that collectively form the computer program are stored in the program memory MPROG, and each part is in its appropriate memory in the program memory MPROG. Stored in position.

  After or during the installation of the part, the processor PROC can continue by sniffing for the next data packet and repeating the above process for the next packet. The processor PROC can continue the process of receiving the data packet and installing each part until all parts collectively forming the computer program are installed. Then, the installation of the computer program on the device DEV is completed.

  The decision to complete the memory of all parts can work as follows. The processor PROC can keep track of all parts of the installed computer program. Consider the following example. The processor PROC determines that the total amount of parts is 500 from the header of the data packet. Therefore, the program metadata includes the total amount that is 500. The processor PROC can then keep a record by maintaining a list of 500 flags, each flag corresponding to a packet number, to indicate whether the corresponding part is already installed. For example, flag # 25 corresponds to packet number # 25 and specifies whether or not part # 25 is installed. Thus, the program metadata includes packet number # 25, which thus represents the rank # 25 portion of the consecutive portions # 1- # 500. Before installing the first part, the list is initialized by setting all flags in the list to 0 (zero). Then, each time the processor PROC installs the part, the processor PROC sets the corresponding flag of the part to 1 (one). If the processor PROC determines that all the flags in the list have been set to 1, it determines that all 500 parts have been installed.

  Alternatively, the program metadata includes the total number of bytes included by the computer program. The processor PROC can hold the total number of accumulated bytes of the portion stored in the program memory MPROG. When the last part is installed such that the cumulative number of bytes matches the total number of bytes, the processor PROC can determine that all parts that collectively form the computer program have been stored in the program memory MPROG.

  The host HST can transmit the part in a so-called round-robin fashion. This implies that the host HST sends all parts in a periodic manner. Again, consider the following example where the total amount of parts is 500. The 500 parts correspond to a total number of 500 data packets. Sending 500 data packets in a round-robin fashion means that the host HST sends all 500 data packets continuously within a single round-robin period and then proceeds to the next round-robin period. Implied, in which the host HST again sends all data packets continuously. Within the round robin period, the host HST first transmits data packet # 1, then transmits data packet # 2, then transmits data packet # 3, and so on. After sending data packet # 500, host HST starts the next period by sending data packet # 1, again data packet # 2, and so on.

  As a result, the device DEV can likewise receive the parts in a round robin manner, and as a result, it can further install each part in a round robin manner accordingly. The device DEV may start sniffing and receiving at any stage within the round robin period. For example, device DEV receives the first data packet, which is data packet # 100 and includes part # 100. Thus, if the device DEV receives and installs the part that is continuously transmitted by the host HST, the device DEV will first receive the parts # 100 to # 500 during the first round robin period and then the second During the round robin period, parts # 1 to # 99 are installed.

  If the device DEV fails to receive and / or install a data packet during the first round robin period for any reason, the device DEV simply sends the data packet during the next round robin period. Receive and install. Continuing with the previous example, if device DEV fails to receive data packet # 200 during the first round-robin period, the next round-robin period will proceed as follows: Install parts # 1 through # 99 (as above), then skip parts # 100 through # 199, and finally receive and install part # 200.

  FIG. 1 b illustrates a system 199 that includes a plurality of small memory devices 110-113. System 199 actually includes system 100 and three additional (small memory) devices 111-113. Installing portions in a round robin fashion is particularly useful in a system 199 having multiple devices 110-113. Each of the plurality of devices 110-113 may start receiving data packets at different stages of the round robin period (or the next round robin period for that matter). However, each of the plurality of devices 110-113 may simultaneously receive the same data packet from the same single host HST and then install the same portions of each. There is no limit to the amount of (small memory) devices that can be added to system 100 or system 199 when each of the devices receives and installs portions from the host HST in parallel. The only requirement is that each of the plurality of devices is within range of the host HST so as to receive data packets transmitted by the host HST. This presents significant benefits in the sense of speeding up the installation of computer programs on multiple devices that are a large group of devices.

  FIG. 2a illustrates host memory MHST 200 and two program memories MPROG1 210 and MPROG2 220 during round robin installation of the computer program. Program memories MPROG1 and MPROG2 are memories of two small memory devices DEV1 and DEV2, respectively. The host memory MHST is a memory of the host HST. The host memory MHST contains computer programs in the form of (eight) parts AH in respective memory locations 201-208. Portions A to H collectively form a computer program. The host HST can transmit the parts A to H in a round robin manner. The devices DEV1 and DEV2 can then receive and install the parts from the host HST in the respective program memories MPROG1 and MPROG2.

  The host HST has a current read position at the memory location 203 of the host memory MHST. The current read position is indicated by the pointer CURR0. The host HST reads part C, assembles a data packet containing part C and a relative memory location (having a header), and transmits this data packet via the transmission unit SND.

  The device DEV1 receives the data packet and extracts (a) part and (b) relative memory location. Device DEV1 determines absolute memory location 213 by adding the relative memory location to its starting memory location 211. For example, the starting memory location has the value 128 and the relative memory location has the value 2048, so the absolute memory location value is 2176. As a result, the device DEV1 sets its current write position to the absolute memory location indicated by the pointer CURR1, and then stores (writes) part C in the memory location 213 of the program memory MPROG1. The device DEV2 performs similar processing. That is, device DEV2 receives the data packet, determines (absolute) memory location 223, and stores portion C in memory location 223. The pointer CURR2 indicates the current writing position of the device DEV2.

  The host HST transmits the part in a round robin manner as indicated by arrow 260. In this example, the host HST has just sent part C. Therefore, the next part to be transmitted by the host HST will be part D, then part E, etc. After sending part H, the host HST will then continue by sending part A again.

  After DEV1 first started sniffing, Host HST sent part B just before sending the current part C within the same round robin period. Thus, device DEV1 first detects a data packet containing part B, and as a result, part B is the first part installed by DEV1. In this example, the device DEV1 has now finished installing parts B and C. Pointer START1 indicates that the first part is stored in memory location 212 by device DEV1. The pattern filled area in program memory MPROG1 indicates that portions B and C are stored at memory locations 212 and 213, respectively. Arrow 261 indicates that device DEV1 has installed parts in order B and C.

  DEV2 starts sniffing first during the previous round robin period, just before the host HST sends part G. Thus, device DEV2 first detects a data packet containing part G, and as a result, part G is the first part installed by DEV2. In this example, the device DEV2 has now finished installing parts G, H, A, B and C. Pointer START2 indicates that device DEV2 has stored its first part in memory location 227. The pattern filled area in program memory MPROG2 indicates that portions G, H, A, B, and C are stored in memory locations 227, 228, 221, 222, and 223, respectively. Arrow 262 indicates that DEV2 installed the parts in the order G, H, A, B, C.

  DEV1 still has 6 parts “to go”, so DEV1 still needs to install parts DH and A to complete the installation of all parts AH . DEV2 has only three “remaining” parts, so DEV2 still needs to install parts DF to complete the installation of all parts AH. If both devices DEV1 and DEV2 receive and install the next part sent by the host HST in a round robin fashion, DEV2 will complete the installation of all parts before DEV1 completes. FIG. 2b illustrates program memories MPROG1 and MPROG2 that have completed the installation of the computer program. Both memories MPROG1 and MPROG2 include all portions AH at respective memory locations 211-218 and 221-228, respectively.

  FIG. 2c illustrates two program memories MPROG1 210 and MRPOG2 220 and host memory MHST 200 during another round robin installation of a computer program. In FIG. 2c, the host HST and its host memory MHST are the same as those in FIG. 2a. The difference from the situation in FIG. 2a is that the devices DEV1 and DEV2 have begun to store parts at their starting memory locations 211 and 221, respectively. The devices DEV1 and DEV2 store successive parts in successive memory locations in their respective program memories MPROG1 and MPROG2 according to the order in which they were received. Therefore, the device DEV1 stores the next parts DH and A in respective successive memory locations 213-218. Similarly, device DEV2 stores successive portions D-F in respective successive memory locations 225-228. After storing all the parts AH, the devices DEV1 and DEV2 later reorder the parts in their respective program memories MPROG1 and MPROG2 so that the order of the parts is according to FIG. 2b. .

  FIG. 2d illustrates two program memories MPROG1 and MPROG2 after storing all parts of the computer program and before reordering the parts. If device DEV1 determines that all parts AH are stored in its memory, it reorders the parts so that parts AH are stored in program memory MPROG1 as represented in FIG. 2b. To do. Similarly, if the device DEV2 determines that all the parts AH are stored in its memory, the part DEV2 is stored in the program memory MPROG2 so that the parts AH are stored as shown in FIG. 2b. Reorder.

  In FIG. 2c, the devices DEV1 and DEV2 determine the absolute memory location where the part is stored, differently than in FIG. 2a. For example, for the first part B, the device DEV1 determines that the absolute position for storing the part B is the start memory position 211. After receiving the next part C, the device DEV1 determines that the absolute memory location for storing the part C is the next memory location, memory location 212. Similarly, the next portions DH and A are stored in the next memory locations 213-218, respectively. Device DEV1 can maintain a list of packet numbers and respective memory locations representing the order in which portions are stored in program memory MPROG1. In this case, the list indicates that the parts are stored in order B, C, D, E, F, G, H, A (as shown in FIG. 2d). Based on the information in the list, device DEV1 then moves part A from memory location 218 to memory location 211, part B from memory location 211 to memory location 212, and part C from memory location 212. Move to memory location 213, and so on.

  The order in which the host HST transmits the parts in a round robin manner is typically as described above. A typical order for transmitting portions within a round robin period is A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H. Alternatively, the order in which the parts are transmitted may be different from the typical order described above. For example, the order may be reversed or randomized. For example, as a result of order randomization, a host may transmit portions in order E, D, A, C, G, B, H, F within one round robin period, and the host may send another round robin period. May transmit parts in different orders B, F, G, E, D, H, C, A.

  The installation of the computer program can be initiated in various ways. For example, when the boot loader is running, the boot loader may cause the device DEV to start sniffing data packets. The boot loader may have a predetermined timeout period, so after starting a sniff, if no data packet is detected within the timeout period, the device DEV stops the sniff and proceeds with the boot of the device DEV. In contrast, if a data packet is detected within the timeout period, the device DEV installs the part contained by the data packet and starts sniffing for the next data packet.

  As another example, the boot loader may cause the device DEV to verify whether a legitimate computer program is stored in the program memory MPROG and initiates a sniff if it determines that the legitimate computer program is not installed. May be. As another example, the boot loader may cause the device DEV to verify whether any computer program for operating the device is stored in the program memory MPROG. If the device DEV determines that the computer program is not installed, it may initiate a sniff if it determines that the program memory is “empty” (eg, filled with only zeros).

  As another example, the boot loader may start the sniff when the device DEV detects that the install flag is set to the install state. When the install flag is set to the install state, this indicates that a computer program needs to be installed. When the install flag is set to a non-install state, this indicates that no computer program installation is required. The install flag may be part of the device DEV. The installation flag may be set to an installation state in response to an external input. For example, if the device DEV is a remote control device, an external input is provided by a user typing a predetermined code into the remote control device, and (a) setting an installation flag in the remote control device to an installation state; Performing a reboot. As described above, the device DEV then detects that the install flag is set to the install state during (re) boot, and starts sniffing the data packet in response. When the installation of the computer program is completed, the device DEV can set the installation flag to the non-installed state. Alternatively, the external input may be provided via a manual switch on the device DEV that represents the installation flag. The user can manually set the manual switch to the first position or the second position. The first position may correspond to the installed state, and the second position may correspond to the non-installed state.

  In the context of the present invention, when the device DEV “starts sniffing the data packet”, this implies that the device DEV has started installing the computer program, and that installing the computer program It should be noted that is implicitly stored in the program memory MPROG.

  For security purposes, the data packet may include encryption. For example, the host HST may encrypt the computer program part and assemble a data packet using the header and the encrypted part. The device DEV can receive the data packet, extract the encrypted part from the data packet, and obtain the part by decrypting the encrypted part. Encryption can ensure that only the device DEV or similar device can receive and install the part.

  In one embodiment, the device DEV is a remote control device in a production facility that produces the remote control device. A production facility may include a production line with remote controls in various production states. At the end of the line, each remote control device requires the installation of the latest firmware. In a configuration similar to that schematically illustrated by FIG. 1b, the host HST is in the vicinity of the production line so that a plurality of remote control devices can receive data packets transmitted by the host HST. . The host HST can be, for example, a personal computer or some dedicated device that transmits data packets. In order to minimize the risk of interference with other equipment in the production facility, the host HST and the remote controller may use communications or frequency bands that are not used by other equipment. However, mutual interference between multiple remote control devices is not a problem because multiple remote devices simply receive and receive data packets in parallel from the same host HST.

  In one embodiment, the device DEV has an indicator that provides feedback upon completing the installation of the computer program. For example, the device DEV has an LED that lights up upon completion. As a variant, the LED changes its color from red to green at the completion. As another example, the device DEV has a speaker that generates a notification or warning on completion. As another example, the device DEV may have means to vibrate on completion.

  In one embodiment, the device DEV is a wirelessly controllable lamp, such as a “Hue Personal Wireless Lighting” product produced by Philips. The lighting characteristics of the lamp can be controlled by a central control box, or the lamp can be controlled directly by a smartphone. The central control box may include a host HST as described above. A user may want to control brightness, hue, and / or saturation separately for each lamp or jointly for all lamps. Typically, a living room will have a plurality of such wirelessly controllable lamps. When the central control box can detect that new firmware is available for multiple lamps, the central control box can trigger a firmware upgrade as follows. The central control box sends the new firmware version number to each lamp, and in response, each lamp checks whether the version number of the new firmware matches its installed firmware. If one of the lamps detects that the lamp's firmware is not up-to-date, the lamp can reply to the central control box that it will initiate a new firmware installation. That is, this lamp sets its installation flag to “installed state” and executes reboot. Upon reboot, the lamp then starts sniffing for data packets from the central control box. Similarly, other lamps that also have old firmware may do the same thing, in parallel, reboot further, and initiate the installation of new firmware. When the central control box receives from the at least one lamp to initiate a new software installation, the central control box downloads the new firmware, eg, from the manufacturer's website. The central control box then starts sending data packets containing the new firmware. The lamp then detects and receives data packets transmitted by the central control box and initiates the installation of firmware according to the present invention.

  As a variation of the previous embodiment, a new lamp may be added to the lamps in the living room to check if its firmware is up to date. The new lamp is mounted in an armature and is therefore electrically powered through this armature. When powered, the new lamp can communicate wirelessly with the central control box. In a manner similar to the previous embodiment, the central control box communicates the latest firmware installed on the other lamps of the plurality of lamps, and if the new lamp firmware is not up-to-date, the central control box and the new one The lamp initiates the installation of new firmware according to the present invention.

  In one embodiment, the retail store has a plurality of small memory devices that are media players. Retailers may want to install the latest firmware on all media players on the shop floor. The retailer has a smartphone arranged to function as a host HST. The latest firmware can be downloaded onto the smartphone, and the smartphone can start transmitting the portion of the computer program in a round robin manner. By powering the media player, the media player can reboot (and therefore run the boot loader), then start the sniff as part of the boot loader, and then receive and install the part. As the smartphone continues to transmit parts in a round robin fashion, the media players may be powered one by one, and each media player may be in a different stage of the round robin period and / or even within a different round robin period. The firmware installation can be started. Therefore, the installation of each media player need not be synchronous, which makes the entire procedure practical. The above firmware update procedure is simple due to its wireless and automatic nature. Furthermore, the above procedure is also fast because the firmware on the media player is updated in parallel.

  The device DEV can be any small memory device according to the present invention. Many such devices now have wireless capability to connect to other devices, for example, in a home environment, a medical environment, or in a car. Thus, the devices can be interconnected, for example, interacting with each other and / or with users within the device's local network and / or with the Internet. Examples of small memory devices DEV include remote control devices, wireless controllable lamps (eg those described above), media players, portable media players, electronic toys, digital watches, kitchen appliances, kitchen devices such as refrigerators or ovens, and It is a wearable electronic device. The device DEV may be a device for medical purposes, such as a blood saturation meter, a wearable heart rate monitor, or another small memory device that monitors a patient's physiological or physical parameters. As yet another example, the device DEV may be a wirelessly controllable digital tag, eg, a digital tag that serves as a name tag for personal identification or as a price tag that indicates a price at a retail store.

  The wireless technology used by the host HST and device DEV can be any suitable wireless technology, such as RF4CE Zigbee, WiFi®, or a variant of BlueTooth® that does not require pairing. . An advantage of the present invention is that the boot loader can be very simple in the sense that installation of the computer program by the boot loader can work at the so-called MAC level and therefore does not require an RF4CE software stack within the boot loader. Should be noted.

  It is mentioned above that the program memory MPROG may be small (small) in the sense that the program memory MPROG is insufficiently sized to contain both a computer program and also a copy of the computer program at the same time. Has been. However, the present invention will obviously work similarly when the program memory MPROG is large so that the program memory MPROG is large enough to contain both the computer program and the copy. In one embodiment, the program memory MPROG is actually large, but nevertheless, only a small portion of the program memory MPROG may be available because the rest is used for other purposes.

  The host HST can execute software that includes instructions for assembling data packets. This software can be embodied in a computer program product, such as a CD-ROM or solid state memory. The computer program product may include instructions that cause a host HST processor to perform the following steps when instructions are executed by the processor: determining a part from the computer program, determining part metadata associated with the part And assembling a data packet including the part and the partial metadata.

  FIG. 3 illustrates a method 300 for installing a computer program on a small memory device DEV. Method 300 includes steps 301-305. Step 301 includes detecting a data packet of the plurality of data packets, the detecting being part of receiving the data packet. Step 302 comprises: from the data packet, (a) a portion of a computer program and partial metadata associated with the portion; and (b) program metadata associated with a set of portions that collectively form a computer program; Extracting at least one of them. Step 303 includes determining a memory location in the program memory based on the partial metadata. Step 304 includes maintaining progress information representing the extracted portion stored in the program memory. Step 305 includes determining completion of storing the set of portions based on the progress information and the program metadata. Method 300 is consistent with steps that may be performed in system 100 and by apparatus 100.

  Method 300 may be embodied in a computer program product. The computer program product includes a boot loader that includes instructions that cause the processor PROC to perform the method 300 when the boot loader is executed by the processor PROC. The computer program product can be, for example, a CD-ROM or a solid state memory. The above-described embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and many alternative embodiments may be designed by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Should be noted. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that two or more of the above-described embodiments, implementations, and / or aspects of the invention may be combined in any manner deemed useful.

  Modifications and variations of the system, apparatus, host device, method, or computer program product correspond to the described modifications and variations of the monitoring subsystem and can be performed by those skilled in the art based on this description.

  In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb “include” and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those explicitly stated in a claim. The article “one (a, an)” preceding an element does not exclude the presence of multiple such elements. The present invention can be implemented by hardware including several distinguishable elements and by a suitably programmed computer. In the device (or system) claim enumerating several means, several of the means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to provide a benefit.

The invention is defined in the independent claims. Useful but optional embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

Claims (15)

A device,
-A program memory, which is a memory for containing computer programs;
-A boot memory including a boot loader arranged to boot the device;
A processor for executing the computer program and the boot loader;
A receiving unit for wirelessly receiving data packets, wherein the receiving unit comprises a part of the computer program by at least some of the respective data packets;
Have
The boot loader is further arranged to install the computer program;
-Detecting a data packet of the data packets, wherein the detecting is part of receiving the data packet;
-From the data packet, (a) a portion of the computer program and partial metadata associated with the portion; and (b) program metadata associated with a set of portions that collectively form the computer program. Extracting at least one of them,
-Determining a memory location in the program memory based on the partial metadata;
-Maintaining progress information representing the extracted part stored in the program memory;
-Determining completion of storage of the set of parts based on the progress information and the program metadata;
Including the device. The boot loader is arranged to receive a set of data packets in a round-robin manner, the set of data packets collectively including the set of portions, and the set of data packets is within a single round-robin period Sent,
The apparatus of claim 1. The set of portions is a continuous portion that continuously forms the computer program, and the portion metadata includes information related to a rank of the portions within the continuous portion;
The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The boot loader detects the detection;
-Receiving an external input signal, the device being arranged to receive the external input signal;
-Detecting a lack of a pre-installed computer program in the program memory, the device being arranged to detect the lack;
-Detecting that an installation flag indicates an installation state, wherein the apparatus includes the installation flag and is arranged to detect that the installation flag indicates the installation state;
4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, arranged to start in response to one of the two. The boot loader is arranged to trigger the detection in response to receiving an external input signal based on user input;
The device includes user input means that allow a user to provide the user input;
The apparatus according to claim 4. The boot loader is arranged to stop the installation if it does not detect the data packet within a predetermined timeout period after starting the detection.
Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The boot loader is arranged to decrypt the portion that is an encrypted portion;
Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.   8. The program memory of claim 1-7, wherein the program memory is of a size sufficient to contain the computer program and insufficient to contain both the computer program and a further copy of the computer program. The apparatus of any one of them.   9. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is embodied in one of a remote control device, a wireless controllable lamp, a media player, an electronic toy, a kitchen appliance, a wearable electronic device, and a medical device. The device according to item. A system for installing a computer program on a device,
A host device arranged to transmit data packets,
Including
At least some of the data packets include respective portions of the computer program, and the host device comprises a transmission unit for wirelessly transmitting the data packets;
The device is
-A program memory, which is a memory for containing computer programs;
-A boot memory including a boot loader arranged to boot the device;
A processor for executing the computer program and the boot loader;
A receiving unit for wirelessly receiving the data packet;
Have
The boot loader is further arranged to install the computer program;
-Detecting a data packet of the data packets, wherein the detecting is part of receiving the data packet;
-From the data packet, (a) a portion of the computer program and partial metadata associated with the portion; and (b) program metadata associated with a set of portions that collectively form the computer program. Extracting at least one of them,
-Determining a memory location in the program memory based on the partial metadata;
-Maintaining progress information representing the extracted part stored in the program memory;
-Determining completion of storage of the set of parts based on the progress information and the program metadata;
Including the system.   11. The apparatus of claim 10, comprising a plurality of devices according to the device, wherein each of the plurality of devices initiates the detection at a different time point corresponding to a different initial portion of the set of portions. system. A host device used in the system according to claim 10, comprising:
-A transmission unit for transmitting the data packet wirelessly;
A processor arranged to transmit a set of data packets in a round robin manner via the transmission unit, wherein each data packet of the data packets includes a part of a computer program, A set collectively includes a set of portions that collectively form the computer program, wherein the set of data packets is transmitted within a single round-robin period; and
Including host device. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by a processor of a host device according to claim 12, the instructions are sent to the processor,
-Determining a part from said computer program;
-Determining partial metadata associated with the part;
-Assembling a data packet comprising said part and said partial metadata;
A computer-readable storage medium that executes A method of installing a computer program in an apparatus, wherein the apparatus is a program memory that is a memory for storing a computer program, a boot memory including a boot loader arranged to boot the apparatus, and the computer program And a processor that executes the boot loader and a receiving unit that wirelessly receives data packets, wherein the portion of the computer program is included by at least some of the data packets, the method comprising:
-Detecting a data packet of the data packets, the detecting step being a part of receiving the data packet;
-From the data packet, (a) a portion of the computer program and partial metadata associated with the portion; and (b) program metadata associated with a set of portions that collectively form the computer program. Extracting at least one of them;
-Determining a memory location in the program memory based on the partial metadata;
-Maintaining progress information representing the extracted portion stored in the program memory;
-Determining completion of storage of the set of parts based on the progress information and the program metadata;
Including methods.   15. A computer readable storage medium comprising a boot loader including instructions, wherein the boot loader causes the processor to perform the method of claim 14 when the boot loader is executed by a processor.

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